Cavitated Water Training/Exercise Ball

ABSTRACT

A device and method for enhancing swimming exercises which can be used with the swimmer&#39;s legs, hands and head. The device can be a closed cell EVA foam sphere having opposite sides formed into concave cavities. The cavities permit a swimmer to position the device between his/her knees and against which the swimmer must apply leg-closing pressure. This causes the swimmer to maintain streamline during the entire pulling phase of the arm movement of the swimming stroke. With the device positioned at the same location, breaststroke kick training can also be enhanced as it causes the swimmer to apply pressure to maintain proper knee distance during kicking. Alternatively, the device can be held in one hand while the other hand is used to implement the particular swim stroke, and the device can be exchanged easily to the other hand. The device can also be placed under the chin during swimming exercises.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to exercise devices and, more particularly, to a floatable device and method which can be used with the hands, legs and head to enhance swimming exercises.

Kickboards are well-known water exercise devices that can be used for a variety of water training exercises. Its most recognized use is for a swimmer to develop his/her kicking style as the user holds on to the kickboard with both hands. However, as can be appreciated, with both hands holding the kickboard, any upper body and/or arm movement is prevented.

Another conventional swimming training device is known as a “pull buoy” which comprises a figure-eight closed cell foam that is placed between a swimmer's thighs or ankles. The pull buoy acts as a float to hold the swimmers legs in a prone position, thereby negating the need for the swimmer to kick. As a result, the swimmer can then tone or develop his/her upper body, viz., the arm stroke.

However, many of these water devices are either “over-buoyant” or “under-buoyant.” In particular, where a water device is over-buoyant, the swimmer experiences additional and unnatural pressure towards the water surface while using the water device and, as such, the swimmer alters his/her proper alignment in the water to compensate. Conversely, where a water device is under-buoyant, this results in an undesirable “pull down” on the swimmer while using the water device, again, requiring the swimmer to his/her proper alignment in the water to compensate.

Thus, there remains a need for a water training device that can be used with at least one part of the swimmer's body that does not require a swimmer to alter his/her body alignment during swimming for various swimming strokes and while maintaining a streamline swimmer's profile and allowing the swimmer to focus on core development.

All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A water exercise device is disclosed. The water exercise device comprises a buoyant sphere (e.g., a closed cell EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam) having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof.

A method for enhancing a swimmer's workout is disclosed. The method comprises: (a) providing a buoyant sphere (e.g., a closed cell EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam) having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof; (b) positioning a respective concave cavity against the side of a swimmer's respective knee; and (c) applying pressure, by the swimmer, against the sphere to maintain his/her legs close together during a swimming exercise.

Another method for enhancing a swimmer's workout is disclosed. This method comprises: (a) providing a buoyant sphere (e.g., a closed cell EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam) having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof; (b) positioning the sphere in one hand of the swimmer; and (c) grasping the sphere, by the swimmer, in one hand and holding his/her arm of the one hand outstretched and straight forward while conducting the swim stroke using his/her other arm and legs.

A further method for enhancing a swimmer's workout is disclosed. This method comprises: (a) providing a buoyant sphere (e.g., a closed cell EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam) having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof; (b) positioning the sphere under the chin of the swimmer; and (c) compressing his/her chin against the sphere, by the swimmer, while conducting the swim stroke using his/her arms and legs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the present disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the present invention showing one of the concave cavities;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the present invention showing inside one of the concave cavities;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the present invention taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A depicts a swimmer with the present invention positioned between the swimmer's knees during a swim stroke;

FIG. 4B depicts a swimmer holding the present invention in an one hand which is outstretched in a forward position and maintained in that position during the swim stroke, although the swimmer can also switch hands using the device;

FIG. 4C depicts a swimmer with the present invention positioned under the chin of the swimmer during a swim stroke; and

FIG. 5 shows the present invention being used with different body parts of the swimmer while maintaining a desired swimming streamline during use.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the figures, wherein like reference numerals represent like parts throughout the several views, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail. Throughout this description, various components may be identified having specific values, these values are provided as exemplary embodiments and should not be limiting of various concepts of the present invention as many comparable sizes and/or values may be implemented.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention 20 comprises a floatable sphere 22 having opposite sides truncated with cavities 24A and 24B (FIG. 3). As discussed herein, these concave cavities 24A/24B, allow the sphere 22 to be easily held between the knees of a swimmer during swimming exercises. In a preferred embodiment, the sphere 22 comprises a closed cell EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) foam. The present invention 20 may be comprised of EVA foam having various levels of density on the “Shore” hardness scale. Materials higher on the Shore scale are harder. Hardness is associated with density which affects buoyancy. Materials with lower Shore numbers are more porous and lighter which increases buoyancy, and materials with higher Shore numbers are denser and less buoyant. Therefore, the present invention is ideally constructed of a material having a density in the range of 35-55 on the Shore scale. In a preferred embodiment, present invention 20 is constructed of EVA foam having a 45 Shore density. This density provides for an ideal amount of buoyancy for the user unlike traditional kickboards or pull buoys. In particular, the sphere 22 provides less buoyancy than these conventional water devices, thus resulting in a more natural kicking and pulling body position when used.

The device 20 is designed to be easily manipulated by the user. In one embodiment, the present invention 20 is sized to be held in a person's hand, making it easy to be used with different parts of the swimmer's body as discussed below.

In another embodiment shown in FIGS. 2-3, each concave cavity 24A/24B contains concentric ring ribs 26 and 28 therein. These ribs 26 and 28 facilitate making contact with the inside of the swimmer's knees when the device 20 is positioned there, which reduces the chance of slippage and increases comfort by being more flexible to conform to individual knee shapes. The curved line sets 32 provide ornamentation to the device 20.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, sphere 22 may also contain a central portion 30 also comprised of closed cell EVA foam. Central portion 30 may consist of EVA foam having a different color than the remainder of sphere 22 for contrast.

FIGS. 4A-4C depict some exemplary exercises/movements that a swimmer can perform with the device 20 for swim training. FIG. 5 depicts how the use of the present invention 20 during these various exercises/movements maintains the swimmer's preferred streamline ST, by not requiring the swimmer to alter his/her body alignment. Ideal natural body alignment for a swimmer provides the lowest possible surface drag as the body moves through the water. Conversely, if a swimmer's body is “out of alignment,” then the body will increase the level of surface drag acting against him/her, i.e., presenting too large of a profile. Therefore, the ideal position is one that has the lowest level of surface drag, i.e., presenting the smallest profile. In this ideal position, the swimmer can maximize his/her propulsion, and by using the present invention 20, mimic the exact same profile he/she would be striving for in a swimming competition.

Conventional pull-buoys can only be positioned between the thighs and the natural position of the thighs when swimming does not encourage the user to improve his/her streamline, viz., squeezing the legs as narrowly as possible to achieve less drag. This is important in swimming in order to enhance a swimmer's performance. To achieve this result and as shown in FIG. 4A, the device 20 can be used by the swimmer by pressing it between the knees. The device 20 forces the swimmer to maintain leg-closing pressure in the ideal streamline during all pulling efforts. As a result, the swimmer engages more of his/her core during this type of exercise. In addition, when used by the swimmer performing the breaststroke, placing the device 20 between the swimmer's knees forces the swimmer to apply pressure to the device 20 to maintain its position, which also functions to maintain proper knee positioning. Thus, device 20 relies on the swimmer to apply pressure to device 20 to maintain proper knee distance during breaststroke kicking unlike any other water training devices.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4B, the device 20 can be held in one hand while kicking freestyle. The device 20 can be held just under the water surface WS, providing natural body alignment and rotation along the longitudinal axis of the swimmer's body. Unlike other water training devices, device 20 may easily be switched from one hand to the other while kicking, thereby allowing natural swimming body roll while focusing on kick training. In addition, better body position and more natural hand placement is achieved when holding device 20 (e.g., during side kicking) when compared to other water training devices (e.g., a kickboard). This position also forces the swimmer to engage his/her core in order to maintain proper alignment during kick training.

Another position, as shown in FIG. 4C, is under the swimmer's chin. The swimmer places pressure against the device 20 in that position and then conducts his/her desired swim stroke in the normal manner. This usage provides for proper head positioning during swimming. In particular, by encouraging the user to have his/her head position set by compressing the device 20 under the chin, the user trains with the most efficient head position which he/she seeks to repeat during swimming competitions.

While the invention has been described in detail and with reference to specific examples thereof, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A water exercise device, said device comprising: a buoyant sphere having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof.
 2. The water exercise device of claim 1 wherein said sphere comprises a foam.
 3. The water exercise device of claim 2 wherein said foam comprises ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA).
 4. The water exercise device of claim 3 wherein said EVA foam is closed cell foam.
 5. The water exercise device of claim 2 wherein said EVA foam comprises a density in the range of 35-55 Shore.
 6. The water exercise device of claim 5 wherein said EVA foam density comprises 45 Shore.
 7. The water exercise device of claim 1 wherein each of said concave cavities comprises a plurality of ribs adapted for enhancing contact with a user's knees during use.
 8. The water exercise device of claim 7 wherein said plurality of ribs comprise concentric raised rings.
 9. The water exercise device of claim 1 wherein said sphere is sized to be held in a person's hand.
 10. A method for enhancing a swimmer's workout, said method comprising: (a) providing a buoyant sphere having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof; (b) positioning a respective concave cavity against the side of a swimmer's respective knee; and (c) applying pressure, by said swimmer, against said sphere to maintain his/her legs close together during a swimming exercise.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of applying pressure comprises allowing the swimmer to maintain his/her body alignment during said swimming exercise.
 12. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of applying pressure comprises maintaining a streamline profile of the swimmer during said swimming exercise.
 13. The method of claim 10 wherein said sphere comprises a foam.
 14. The method of claim 11 wherein said closed cell foam comprises ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA).
 15. The method of claim 12 wherein said EVA foam is closed cell foam.
 16. The method of claim 11 wherein said EVA foam comprises a density in the range of 35-55 Shore.
 17. The method of claim 14 wherein said EVA foam density comprises 45 Shore.
 18. The method of claim 10 wherein each of said concave cavities comprise a plurality of ribs adapted for enhancing contact with a user's knees during use.
 19. The method device of claim 16 wherein said plurality of ribs comprise concentric raised rings.
 20. The method of claim 10 wherein said step of providing a buoyant sphere comprises sizing said sphere to be held in a person's hand.
 21. A method for enhancing a swimmer's workout, said method comprising: (a) providing a buoyant sphere having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof; (b) positioning said sphere in one hand of the swimmer; and (c) grasping said sphere, by said swimmer, in one hand and holding his/her arm of said one hand outstretched and straight forward while conducting the swim stroke using his/her other arm and legs.
 22. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of grasping said sphere comprises allowing the swimmer to maintain his/her body alignment during said swim stroke.
 23. The method of claim 19 wherein said step of grasping said sphere comprises maintaining a streamline profile of the swimmer during said swim stroke.
 24. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of: (d) switching, by the swimmer, said device to the hand of said other arm; (e) grasping said sphere, by said swimmer, in the hand of said other arm outstretched and straight forward while conducting the swim stroke using his/her one hand and legs.
 25. The method of claim 19 wherein said sphere comprises a foam.
 26. The method of claim 25 wherein said closed cell foam comprises ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA).
 27. The method of claim 26 wherein said EVA foam is closed cell foam.
 28. The method of claim 25 wherein said EVA foam comprises a density in the range of 35-55 Shore.
 29. The method of claim 28 wherein said EVA foam density comprises 45 Shore.
 30. The method of claim 19 wherein each of said concave cavities comprise a plurality of ribs adapted for enhancing contact with a user's knees during use.
 31. The method device of claim 30 wherein said plurality of ribs comprise concentric raised rings.
 32. A method for enhancing a swimmer's workout, said method comprising: (a) providing a buoyant sphere having concave cavities on opposite sides thereof; (b) positioning said sphere under the chin of the swimmer; and (c) compressing his/her chin against said sphere, by said swimmer, while conducting the swim stroke using his/her arms and legs.
 33. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of compressing his/her chin comprises allowing the swimmer to maintain his/her body alignment during said swim stroke.
 34. The method of claim 32 wherein said step of compressing his/her chin comprises maintaining a streamline profile of the swimmer during said swim stroke.
 35. The method of claim 28 wherein said sphere comprises a foam.
 36. The method of claim 35 wherein said closed cell foam comprises ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA).
 37. The method of claim 36 wherein said EVA foam is closed cell foam.
 38. The method of claim 35 wherein said EVA foam comprises a density in the range of 35-55 Shore.
 39. The method of claim 38 wherein said EVA foam density comprises 45 Shore.
 40. The method of claim 32 wherein each of said concave cavities comprise a plurality of ribs adapted for enhancing contact with a user's knees during use.
 41. The method device of claim 40 wherein said plurality of ribs comprise concentric raised rings. 